


One Second of Harmony, Two Counts of Unity

by shitzsuji



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ballroom AU, Ben Solo is an asshole with a nice butt?, Competitive Ballroom AU, Don't mess with Rey. She will kick you., Everything happens eventually, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn, dance au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 07:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6069790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shitzsuji/pseuds/shitzsuji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don't take this place lightly. Dancers win and lose here. So I hope you understand that you've just stepped onto a battlefield."</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Second of Harmony, Two Counts of Unity

**Author's Note:**

> Competitive Ballroom AU. (I tried).

She was seven when she was introduced to ballroom dancing. Her first set of foster parents had signed her up for a children’s dance class at the local community center, wanting her to have something else to do on the weekends besides taking apart all the toys they bought for her.

It worked. For a while. Rey became a star student in the class. Her form was always one of the first to be praised by the instructor and everyone noticed the amount of control she demonstrated in partner dance.The few performances she participated in won her first or second placement awards.

So it came as a surprise when she grew bored of it after a year and quit. Her foster parents thought nothing more of it, having assumed that maybe dance wasn’t for her and never realized that Rey quit because she was tired of learning the same things over and over again.

Still, being the precocious child she was, the lack of a teacher did not stop her from practicing by her own and eventually, Rey found herself dabbling in other variations of dance. Being thrown around in the foster system meant that she couldn’t pursue ballroom dance as much as she liked, but she picked up on hip hop and street dancing fairly well on her own.

But as Rey grew up, dancing took a backseat to academics, in which she earned a full scholarship to the prestigious Coruscant Institute of Technology. Majoring in Aerospace Engineering with the intention to specialize in Aeronautics, she threw herself into her studies and managed to carve out a comfortable routine centered around her classes and her part-time job.

In her third year, she was given the opportunity to work in Professor Luke Skywalker’s propulsion lab, which she was paid decently enough to drop her stint at Starbucks and focus on her education.

Rey never really thought about dance again until she had passed by a small studio on her way to buy some hardware for a project she was tinkering on. The proprietor was a small woman with a kind face and an easy grace that made her seem younger than she was.

“Interested,” she asked while Rey was observing the dancing couples through the window.

“I-I . . . I am . . . but-”

“First two lessons are free. You should come in if you have an hour or two.” With a lingering smile, the woman popped back into the studio, leaving Rey to quickly decide if she really had the time to spare.

It was Saturday and her project was more or less completed (with the exception of the quarter inch screws that ruined the structural integrity of its base). She had done her grocery shopping and laundry the day before, and her paper on point mass models wasn’t due until next month.

So Rey did have the time. But years of living by a strict routine made her a little more than reluctant to go inside and check it out.

“Just one hour,” she told herself.

There was a large sign attached to the counter reading ‘Takodana Dance Studio’. Below were the rates for lessons, which Rey purposely ignored. A collection of dancewear hung on a small rack to the side, next to a mannequin wearing a magnificent gown.

Green was such a lovely color . . . And the pattern of the embroidery. . .

“I never really caught your name,” the proprietor said, suddenly appearing behind the counter beside her.

Startled, she pulled her hand back and coughed. “It’s Rey. Rey Kenobi.”

“Maz Kanata,” the woman replied, smiling. “I’m just the manager of the studio. Lessons are usually taught by Poe. I think he’s teaching a class right now . . .”

“Oh. Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt,” Rey had half a mind to turn and leave, But Maz’s kind demeanor and strong grip led her to stand awkwardly in the doorway as she watched a man lead a class consisting of mostly middle-aged adults and senior citizens.

There was, however, one fellow young person who seemed to be trying his best not jostle the elderly woman he was partnered with. The instructor caught on to this right away and noticed Rey standing at the door, so naturally, he paired them up together.

“I’m Finn,” the young person said, offering his hand. “Is this your first time here?”

“Yeah . . . I’m Rey, by the way.”

“Have you got any experience with the waltz? Do you want me to show you,” he asked, immediately leading her without giving her time to answer back.

A little bit peeved, Rey started from the basic box formation of the waltz, slowly transitioning to a simple rise and fall, using what she could remember to guide her.

The look of surprise on Finn’s face was enough to tell her that she had performed correctly, so she let herself fall into a sway rhythm. “I can manage myself fine, thank you very much,” she said perhaps too tersely.

Finn’s smile faltered, and Rey muttered a quick apology before looking around the room.

“So are you an instructor or a student,” she asked. “You seem to know more than the average person in this room.”

“I’m a bit of both. Poe usually leads classes, but as his best student, I get sent around to help the others.” Finn lowered his head and confided that his biggest fear was having someone break their hip while he was trying to help them.

“Oh come on, they’re not that old,” Rey whispered back, holding back a chuckle.

“No, but I’ll be honest and say that between Poe and them, you’re the best partner I’ve had in awhile.”

He nudged her foot into a pivot position and turned, giving a nod of approval when Rey followed him. “That’s a not a move people get right away. So you have had formal training before.”

It was more of a conclusion than a question to her. Rey nodded, thinking back to her practicing the box formation in her small room as a child. “A long time ago.”

They kept their whispers to themselves while Poe the instructor busied himself by correcting everyone’s stances. Upper body to the left while moving through figures with the right hand holding the leader’s left and the left hand on the leader’s right bicep.

Basic rules for ballroom demanded that neither partner block each other’s way while executing techniques. Rey remembered that much as she and Finn glided through the floor, minding the other couples around them.

When Poe arrived at them, he said nothing, but gave them a satisfied smile and a nod before moving on to the next couple. If Finn expected anything, he did not show it, and led Rey around the room.

“Your shoulders are too high,” he pointed out after a while. “It puts more pressure on the arms if you don’t lower them a bit.”

.

After class, Rey went to go get her things, intending to go thank Maz for the lesson when she was stopped by Finn and Poe.

“Are you enrolled,” Poe asked, sounding a bit too excited. “You have potential . . .”

“Rey,” Finn supplied.

“Rey. Did Maz tell you that the first two lessons are free?”

“Yeah, but . . .” She didn’t really plan on enrolling when she first walked in through the door. She only came in to check out the studio, and besides, she had a lot to do already.

“Come back when you can. You’ve still got one more lesson anyways,” Poe said, smiling from ear to ear. “I’d love to teach you.”

He walked by her to go talk to another student, with Finn trailing behind him. The latter waved goodbye to her as she exited the dance studio and for a moment, Rey considered enrolling.

Then she remembered that she needed ¾ inch screws and that the hardware store was going to close at four if she didn’t hurry.

However, she found herself coming back on Wednesday night when Professor Skywalker gave everyone the night off to let the custodians tidy up around the lab. There was a dangerous (not really) amount of contamination (dust and dead spiders) that cropped up around the machinery over the years and the Professor was insistent that everyone either go or stay and help clean.

Obviously, Rey and her fellow colleagues chose the latter. But while she originally planned to go home and do the reading on the implementation of point mass motion in equations for her paper, she was hungry.

Not in the mood to cook for herself, Rey found some spare change in her bag and headed down to the local Thai restaurant to rustle up some food. On the way, she passed by Takodana and peered through the window to watch the dancing couples.

Poe had been close enough to notice her and gestured for her to come in, which she did after a long moment of contemplation. The Thai restaurant would be still be open when she came out, she told herself.

“I didn’t expect you to come on a weeknight. Finn’s usually too busy with homework to roll up on the weekdays,” he explained when Rey looked around for her dance partner. “I can’t blame him. College was like that for me too.”

“Yeah . . .”

“You’re a college student too, right? You’ve probably seen him around the Jakku campus.”

Rey shook her head. “I go to Coruscant.”

Poe let out a low whistle, looking very impressed. “Well, we should not waste anymore time then.”

He waited for her to put her bag down before directing her to the front of the class. Using her as a model for correct posture, Poe pointed out to the class the correct way to hold a partner. For the students who were a little uncomfortable being in such close proximity with the opposite sex, he suggested for them to start off with a 6 inch space in between, letting the natural flow of the dance to bring them together.

Shortly after, he demonstrated how to execute a Reverse Turn with Rey as his partner, eventually leading her in a simple waltz routine. It was surprisingly hard to keep up with Poe. His movements exhibited such poise that Rey felt like she was being dragged around like a limp doll.

Once in awhile, he’d give subtle pointers by nudging her with his foot to get her to keep her stride. His other students, being the amateurs they were, did not notice the times when her steps went off count or when her upper body turned stiff and Poe had to lean back more to compensate for her lack of balance.

.

“You did alright,” Poe reassured her after class. “That whisk was actually very well done.”

“Really?” Rey hid a smile and went to get her bag, happy that she was being complimented.

“So, are you thinking about enrolling?”

This had technically been her second lesson, and while Rey had fun, she didn’t know if she could indulge in anymore lessons. Her free time was strictly limited to the weekends and even then, she still had things like studying and running errands to do. On the other hand, if she were to enroll, that would mean having something other than dissecting robotics diagrams for fun on a Saturday night.

“Ah. I understand. Don’t worry about it, “ Poe said after a while. “I hear Coruscant kids have a lot on their plate-”

“I do want to come back, but it’s just time management I have to worry about.” Rey quickly looked at the lesson rates, the cheapest being $40 a month. She could afford that. She wasn’t hurting for money, and one lesson per week? That was doable. Rey could really use a break from tinkering away in her apartment anyways.

“Really?!” Poe’s face lit up, but he kept his calm. “I actually wanted to partner up you with Finn. He’s been looking for a partner for the RA Open competition for a while now.”

“Competition?”

“Yeah, it’s a standard dance competition. Are you curious,” he asked, leaning against the wall.

“ . . . A bit.”

“The RA Open is 10 dances, each about two to three minutes long, judged as one event. Five are ballroom, your waltz variations, foxtrots, and quicksteps. And the other five are Latin, your tangoes, cha-chas, and jives. Of course, this is a class-enforced competition,” Poe explained. “You and Finn would be starting off in the Novice class. If you win a regulation competition, you move up to the next class.”

“Oh.” This was starting to sound intimidating.

“But I think it’d be better if I just showed you.” He righted himself and disappeared behind Maz’s counter, returning with a DVD labelled 'D’QAR Grand Prix 2015'.

Popping the disk into the DVD player beneath a battered television set, he took a seat on the floor and patted at the spot beside him. Rey obliged and watched as he skipped to a part he wanted to show her.

It was a ballroom routine, much faster than a waltz. The two dancers that stood out the most were at the center of the floor, dressed in competition wear similar to the gown and suit the mannequins near Maz’s counter wore.

Upon closer observation, the leader was none other than Poe, sporting a demure smile as he led his partner from a simple turn into an elegant swerve that Rey had no name for. Their form was immaculate and both had a unique presence that naturally drew attention to their movements. It was easy enough to tell that they won this round.

Rey was impressed. And when their routine ended, she applauded much to the amusement of Poe.

“I am the best,” he clutched a hand at his chest and ran his other through his hair, grinning from ear to ear. “Wasn’t my Foxtrot just the greatest?”

Rey bit back a snarky reply and watched as the crowds gave a standing ovation as they took a bow. She had meant to remark and how awesome the flow of their movements had been and ask how were they able to do the choreography, but she thought it would be best not to stroke his ego anymore than she already had.

“The next heat is Latin,” Poe announced blandly as the camera zoomed in on a tall couple walking onto the floor. His sudden glare implied that he had a bone to pick with one of the dancers on screen.

They easily dwarfed every one of their competitors and their presence was just as blatant as Poe’s had been. The man stretched out his long limbs, which would’ve made him look gangly if he wasn’t moving with such deliberation. His partner, a statuesque woman with platinum blonde hair, gazed dispassionately at the couples around them while adjusting the sleeves she paired with a gorgeous silver dress.

When the music started, they kicked off with a series of leg locks that stirred up the audience. And the rest of their routine was performed with the same fast, dynamic energy they started off with. Every sudden snap, kick, or sway had Rey paying attention to their technique.

“That’s Kylo Ren and Phasma. They took first in the Latin division at last year’s First Order Semi-Finals.” Poe didn’t even spare a glance for them, fast-forwarding through the rest of their routine. His latin dance was right after, and it had definitely wowed the judges with its unique choreography, but fell flat compared to the Kylo Ren duo.

And again, Poe fast-forwarded to the end shortly after a second ovation, stopping at the camera shot that showed him holding a gold trophy and triumphantly posing for a picture with his partner. Off to the side was Kylo Ren, silently skulking as he clutched a silver trophy, and his partner, who was still sporting that same dispassionate expression.  
  
They had won second place, which was still good.

“Anyways, I’d still be happy if you just wanted normal dance lessons. But if you think you can take on the RA Open, just tell me. And Finn. I can promise you that practices will be hard sometimes, but they’re usually worth it.”

Poe stopped the DVD footage and got up, offering a hand to help Rey up. “I’m usually here every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.”

And with that, Rey left the Takodana Dance Studio, her wallet empty and both Poe and Finn’s numbers on her phone.

.

“Ballroom, huh? My sister likes ballroom dancing as well,” Professor Skywalker replied when Rey had told casually told him that she signed up for dance lessons as a form of stress relief.

“My first lesson is on Saturday.,” She bit into her sandwich, hoping that the professor wouldn’t tell her that it was a waste of time when she could be completing her project on nonlinear dynamics, a project that was due in three months.

“That’s sounds fun. Maybe I should take up a non-STEM hobby one of these days. Everyone is always telling me that I’m a hermit living in the lab.”

They both laughed, polishing off their lunches in a few minutes that left the professor taking a moment to get his food down right because he drank his soda too fast. Rey gathered her things and left for her next class, feeling lighter than she had felt in a long time.

The afternoon was spent working on her paper at the science library, where Rey stayed until ten minutes before closing time. She had a problem with calculating the resonance frequency of a sample probe and made a beeline across campus to Professor Skywalker’s office to ask for help.

However, when she got there, there were already people inside. The door was open and Rey could see the professor hastily throwing his things into the dingy case he put his work in.

“It’s been too long since we’ve sat down and had dinner, Luke. I promise you, the food is die for,” a woman’s voice echoed out the office and down the empty corridor. “Han liked it.”

There was some deep grumbling and a hearty laugh that followed after. Not wanting to intrude on the Professor’s personal time, Rey turned and was about to leave when the woman poked her out the door, calling her back.

“A student of yours?”The woman smiled at her and playfully jabbed Professor Skywalker in the arm. “Take your time. We’ll be waiting outside.”

She gathered the two men accompanying her. One sported a cocky smirk, letting the woman drag him by the arm out. The other was younger with a perpetual grimace plastered across on his face, framed by unnaturally luscious hair. When he walked, it was with a sort of lumbering grace that Rey felt like she had seen before.

“Professor, I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t worry about it, Rey. It’s just my sister and her husband,” Professor Skywalker waved his hand dismissively as he shoved two binders in his bag. “And honestly, I’m not up for spending a night in an expensive restaurant with an open bar. My brother-in-law and alcohol don’t really mix together,” he whispered with a hint of mirth. “So, what do you need help on?”

“There was a sample problem in the reading that I couldn’t quite understand.The resonance frequency of the oscillator probe should equal to that of the point mass model,” Rey fished out her notes, quickly showing them to the Professor.

He immediately picked up a pen and marked the areas where she miscalculated, handing them back to her with a quick smile. “Simple mistakes. Try solving it again with the right amount of joules. Check your work for the kinetic energy function.”

“Oh.” Rey felt her embarrassment slowly take over as she reviewed her work again. Her mistakes weren’t simple. They were plain stupid.

“Ugh, Leia, Han, and Ben are going to get mad if I don’t hurry. And traffic is going to be such a pain as well,” Professor Skywalker muttered.

Not wanting to keep him any longer than she had to, Rey bid goodnight to the professor and ducked out his office.

Stuffing her notes back in her bag, she chirped a quick, “Have a good night”, to the professor’s family and turned to leave, but not before doing a doubletake at the gloomy man standing next to his mother.

Rey thought she recognized something familiar about him. It was either the sour expression his face or his lanky limbs, she didn’t know. But the only other person she associated these qualities to in recent memory was Kylo Ren, the second-place ballroom dancer whom Poe seemed to dislike

But it couldn’t be, she thought.

The man in the video was tall, graceful, and carried himself with all the dignity and poise of someone in total control. This Kylo was slouched against the wall, head bent to look down at his phone, grunting every minute or so when his mother asked him a question.

The petulant-looking man-child she saw was definitely not Kylo Ren. Satisfied, Rey hurried off to the bus stop, eager to get home and finish her work in time for her first dance lesson. She would need to look more into ballroom and ballroom competitions before she decided what to do next.


End file.
